November 4, 2001	Sunday	Shaba’an 17, 1422

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KARACHI, Nov 3: Test reject Wajahatullah Wasti led an Allied Bank run spree with a sparkling 98 against PWD on the second day of the Patron’s Trophy Grade-I clash at UBL Sports Complex here Saturday.

Allied Bank have already taken a first innings lead of 67 runs by reaching stumps on a hot and hazy day at 290 for four in reply to PWD’s 223.

Wajahat, who turns 27 next Sunday, showed his class in a superb exhibition of strokeplay despite the sluggish outfield as he and talented Usman Tariq shared a third wicket partnership of 139 in two hours and 34 minutes.

The overnight pair remained unseparated at lunch as the bankers added 102 runs to Friday’s 25 for two. Usman, the 18-year-old left-hander, perished for a compact 73 off 135 deliveries when he was deceived in flight by slow left-armer Fahim Ahmed Sr after adding 12 to his lunch score of 61. His 199-minute knock was embellished with seven fours.

Wajahat, meanwhile, made amends for missing several games this season for various reasons by stroking some exquisite square drives during his 280-minute stay in the middle. He could have easily struck more than 10 fours had the outfield been faster in his 227-ball innings.

Shortly after tea, two shy of a well-deserved hundred, Wajahat mistimed a drive against a slower delivery from medium-pacer Tanvir Ahmed and tamely offered Bilal Asad an easy offering at short extra-cover.

Ijaz Ahmed Junior, another Test discard, looks on course for his fourth century in the current championship as he and Aamir Hanif added 77 for the unbroken fifth wicket partnership in 104 minutes.

Ijaz has so far struck four boundaries in his 61 off 148 balls while the diminutive Aamir found the boundary on five occasions in his 82-ball 46.

The pitch has started to turn more but PWD clearly lacked a spinner of Arshad Khan’s calibre as leg-spinner Riaz Shaikh toiled through 33 overs without any reward.

Arshad, the Allied Bank stand-in skipper, claimed a career-best eight for 80 Friday. The Test off-spinner could be a handful in PWD’s second innings.